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Friday, 23 January 2015

Vivienne Westwood: Vote Green 2015!

British designer, political activist and businesswoman Dame Vivienne Westwood has pledged her full support for the Green Party ahead of the May 2015 General Election. Westwood, who has played a central role in raising awareness about climate change through her Climate Revolution organisation and been at the forefront of the campaign against fracking in the UK, will support the Green Party financially and operationally during the crucial four-month election campaign and will vote Green on May 7th 2015.

Commenting Vivienne Westwood said: "People know what’s going on. The general public do not trust the current economic system and they don’t believe that official figures bear relation to the reality. They know by experience that things are getting worse. The cost of living increases continually. And they care very much about the environment. Public opinion is not reflected in the press. I know this because I talk with people. I am an activist. People ask me what to do. I have decided the best advice is to Vote Green. The other parties are all the same. I call them the bloc. A Green vote is the only non-wasted vote. The Green Party are against austerity, against fracking and pro-community. Starting from this platform we could build a true economy based on real human values. I am investing in the Green Party because I believe it is in the best interests of our country and our economy. I hope that by example other individuals and businesses will follow suit. If we get behind this we can make a real difference and the time is now!”

Chris Luffingham, Green Party Campaigns Director, said: "The Green Party wholeheartedly welcomes Vivienne's support. To receive backing from such a highly respected campaigner, who has been so prominent in the battle against fracking and broader issues of climate change, is a real boon to the Party as we look to translate the 'Green surge' into votes at the General Election in May. Vivienne and the Greens are working together towards bringing about a peaceful political revolution at the ballot boxes which will deliver a society that meets the needs of all while working within the environmental limits of our one planet."

A unprecedented membership surge has seen the Greens' support pass that of UKIP and the Liberal Democrats in the past week. The Green Party is consistently polling at its highest levels ahead of a General Election since 1989. The increased appetite for the Green alternative will be met at the ballot boxes; the Party is standing candidates in at least 75% of seats in May 2015. That means 50% more people will be able to vote Green in 2015 than were able to do so five years ago.

The Green Party and Westwood concur that business-as-usual Westminster politics is utterly failing to deliver the real change both people and planet desperately need and are committed to offering voters a genuine alternative the austerity politics that the Coalition and Labour remain committed to and which continues to drive-up inequality and inflict financial hardship on the British public. Westwood and the Greens are committed to providing a positive alternative to the tired status quo, and building a fairer society that operates for the benefit of the 99%, not the 1%.

The Green Party has recently rolled out a series of policies designed to reduce inequality including a Wealth Tax and a £10 minimum wage by 2020. On January 5th 2015, the Greens announced measures to cut the cost of public transport by 10% by scrapping most of the Government’s £15 billion new road building programme. Over the coming months Westwood will be speaking alongside Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, at the People’s Climate March and will be joining the Green Party in delivering talks to universities across the country.